Boot or shoe.



Patn'fed Nov. 2a, |899.

W. BURWELL. BOOT 0R SHUE.

Application fuga Dec. 22, 189m No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT -rrrcn WILSON BURWELL, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

Boor ou SHOE.

sPEcrFroATroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,043, dated November es; 189e;

Application tiled December 22, 1898. Serial No, 699984. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WrLsoN BURWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunimit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a detachable heel for boots and shoes; to thus secure a heel which can be removed from a boot when worn and replaced by a new one; to enable the heels of apair of shoes to be interchanged, so that they will be worn equally; to provide a firm and durable, yet simple, construction, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

Theinvention consists in the improved heel for boots and shoes and in the arrangements and combinations of parts thereof, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal section of a boot having my improved heel attached. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on line no, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan of the heel in position on a shoe. Fig. 4 is a reverse plan of a certain inner plate, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the detachable heel.

In said drawings, a indicates the upper of a boot or shoe of any ordinary construction and suitably attached to a sole b, preferably of leather. At the heel of the shoe is ar-` ranged an inside plate c, which lies against the upper surface of the sole b and is in turn covered by the insole d for greater ease and comfort. Said inside plate c is preferably somewhat dished or concave upwardly to better fit the heel of the wearer, and from its under surface project downwardly-extending lugs or studs c', passing through suitable perforations therefor in the sole b and terminat# ing Iiush with the under surface of said sole. Said studs c are longitudinally bored and threaded in from their lower ends to receive screws e, which serve to hold an outer plate frmly in place/against the under surface of the sole b and the ends of said studs c'. This outer plate f-conforrns in plan view to the shape of an ordinary outside heel as applied to a shoe, being straight across its front end, as at f', and curved, as usual, for the remainder of the periphery. The normally upper surface of this plate f lits against the under surface of the sole b and engages the studs c, while at the under surface a downwardly-extending rim g extends around the curved or horseshoe-shaped portion of the periphery. At the inner or concave side of said rim g the same is grooved adjacent to the under surface of the plate, as at g', said groove being adapted to receive a tongue h on the detachable heel t. Said detachable heel is formed of a shape and size in plan View substantially the saine as the outer platefand is of any height or thickness desired. The upper and outer edges of the curved portion of the periphery of said detachable heel are recessed, as at j, to receive the downwardly-extending rim g on the outer plate f. The upper part of the heel thus extends into the space bounded by the rim g until its top comes in contact with the under side of the outer platef, and at the outer upper edges of said upper part of the heel is the tongue h, extending around the curved portion of the periphery and adapted to lie in the groove g', as before described. The detachable heel t can thus be slid into place from the front of the heel of the shoe, where the transverse end of the outer plate f is devoid of the rim g, as has been described, and can be removed with the same facility. The rim g prevents .said detachable heel from slipping out backwardly, and to hold the heel against slipping forward out of its seat when such movement is notdesired I have provided small screws 7c 7c. Said screws are disposed at each side of the heel and near its front end, as shown more especially in Fig. 3, and eX- tend horizontally inward through countersunk perforations 7c' in the rim g' to screw into threaded sockets k2 in the sides of the IOO detachable heel t', said sockets k2 being adapted to register With the p'erforations 7s when the heel is properly seated in the platef.

By simply removing the screws c the deand solid seat being still afforded for the setscrews, whereby the heel is firmly held. At the same time the screws are easily accessible for removal of the heel, and their position prevents any wearing which will interfere with operating them.

Both the outer holding-platefand the detachable heel t' are preferably of metal, and to secure lightness and cheapness the heel is hollowed out from the bottom, the sides of said cavity diverging upward. The cavity may then be illed or packed with any suitable material, which packing 'm will be held from falling out by the inclination of the inner sides of the cavity. The walls Z around the cavity may be left of any thickness or Weight desired and are preferably at the rear provided with lateral thickened portions Z/,which serve the same purpose as the heelplates commonly applied to ordinary shoes and receive the increased Wear at those points preventing the heel from treading over.7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is `A shoe heel comprising an outer plate adapted to lie vat its upper side flat against the shoe, screws passing through said plate and rigidly securing it to the shoe, an inwardly-grooved downwardly-projecting rim formed integral with said outer plate, and a detachable heel formed of a single integral piece and fitting at its upper part flat against said outer plate and being peripherally recessed to receive the rim thereof and having a tongue to enter the groove in said rim, said removable heel being hollowed out from the WILSON BURWELL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUSSELL M. EVERETT. 

